Israeli settlers attacked a European delegation visiting Palestinian olive harvesters near Taybeh in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the targets included Belgium's consul general, French and Polish diplomats and Catholic representatives. Bernard Baudoux, a French mayor, was assaulted, and a Belgian vehicle was damaged.
A correspondent in Ramallah said settlers surrounded the vehicles, threw stones and smashed windows. An activist who filmed the scene, Amit Orfali, said the masked men threatened to kill those present.
Reaction
Prevot linked the attack to what he called Israel's illegal settlement policy and said he would press for further EU sanctions. Baudoux said the assault suggested the Israeli government tolerates settler violence. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged Israel to arrest the extremist settlers and bring them to justice. The day before, settlers had assaulted a US journalist north of Ramallah.
Israeli police opened an investigation. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioned the reports, calling them alleged and saying they need compelling evidence, while acknowledging that published footage exists.
Other incidents on Saturday
In Ma'in, in Masafer Yatta south of Hebron, six people were injured, including four women and a child, medics said. Near Deir Ammar, west of Ramallah, Israeli forces fired on farmers and settlers shot and wounded two Palestinians, Palestinian reports said. Near Tuqu, Israeli forces fired on a Palestinian civilian vehicle. In Kafr Malek, settlers raided a farm at dawn and killed about 20 sheep, the village mayor said. In Beit Furik, settlers destroyed olive trees and Israeli forces arrested landowners and pickers. In Deir Jarir, settlers under army protection fired live ammunition at farmers and smashed an international activist's vehicle. In Burqa, Israeli forces and settlers kept farmers from picking, and in Wadi al-Sha'er settlers attacked farmers.
A correspondent put the number of documented attacks at 300 since the start of October. The assaults came after a ruling by Rabbi Dov Lior, an influential figure among hardline settler groups, that Jews may harvest olives across the West Bank to assert ownership of the land and that Palestinians never bought or rented it.
